"Bad Monkey" might be prestige TV's most Floridian show
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Vince Vaughn will have you cracking up with every quip. Photo: Courtesy of Apple TV+
A severed arm, shady developers, real estate shenanigans, a few fugitives on the run — all swirling around a disgraced cop who'd rather be having a beer on his dock.
- It's "Bad Monkey," currently streaming its first season on Apple TV+, and it might be the most Floridian prestige TV show ever made.
As a resident of the Sunshine State since grade school, I often bristle at its on-screen depictions. I began watching "Bad Monkey" expecting more of the same.
- And to be clear, this show — particularly in its first episode — absolutely smashes the "FLORIDA" button at every opportunity.
Yes, but: You soon see that the series has earned it, starting with the filming in both the Florida Keys and Miami. The locations imbue authenticity.
- Then there's the source material: A novel of the same name written by none other than Florida's best-known chronicler, Carl Hiaasen.
The plot: That severed arm I mentioned is hauled onto a charter boat by tourists. How it got there, who it belonged to and what it means… well, that's complicated.
- Somehow, the mystery winds up in the hands of Andrew Yancy, a former Miami detective working in the Keys who finds himself demoted to restaurant inspector.
The cast: The engine that drives the series is Vince Vaughn. He's at his best playing the irreverent, motor-mouthed Yancy, whose quippy asides alone are worth the stream.
- Other standouts: Natalie Martinez, as a medical examiner who becomes Yancy's de facto partner; Rob Delaney, as a grifter who's not as with-it as he thinks; and Jodie Turner-Smith, as the "Dragon Queen."
The Florida-ness: Where to begin.
- There's a recurring subplot about a mustard-yellow McMansion recently built — against code — next to Yancy's quaint beachside bungalow.
- Each episode features a cover of a classic song by Gainesville-native Tom Petty.
- You've also got the Florida corruption trifecta: environmental destruction, real estate schemes and Medicare fraud.
Sold? If so, you've still got time to catch up as "Bad Monkey" enters its home stretch.
- There are three episodes left in the 10-installment first season, released each Wednesday. The finale will air Oct. 9.